1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device designed to open at least one page of a publication in order to introduce printed inserts, in particular in an insert feeding and/or packaging machine.
2. Discussion of the Background
Machines called "inserting machines" that feed printed inserts such as a sheet of paper into a publication are known. "Publication" shall be deemed to mean any product, such as a magazine, a two-sided folding leaflet and the like, subsequently called the "main product".
Machines designed to package such products are also known, namely machines in which the main products such as magazines, folding two-sided leaflets and the like are packaged in plastic shrink wrapping material and the like, which contain devices designed to add one or more inserts or secondary products such as a sheet of paper, another leaflet, etc.
These devices, called feeders or inserters, automatically combine the inserts with the main product being packaged.
In order to do so, further devices and/or systems are fitted adjacent to the feeders of the inserting machines and packaging machines which completely raise the first page or other underlying pages of the main product, keeping them all open and raised well above the conveyor and the pushers to allow the insertion of the secondary product.
The devices and/or systems of this kind used at present are particularly bulky, and can cause jamming or stoppage of the packaging machine, which operates at high speed. For example, as they are made in the form of large deflectors which extend above the pusher conveyor, they raise the first page and/or the other pages excessively, causing it to jam in the insert feed elements.
In addition, precisely because of their size, the deflectors currently used are firmly fixed to the structure of the machine, which causes problems if they have to be removed to eliminate jammed paper.
Another drawback is that when the first page or other pages beneath it is fully opened, the inserts fed in may not be correctly aligned and positioned, but may be skewed and misaligned. They may even "leapfrog" the conveyer pusher, or adhere to the upper separation surface as a result of static discharges, which are always present in sheets of paper.
Another drawback is associated with the presence of electrostatic discharges, which are normally present in paper products and cause the pages to stick together so that it is difficult to separate them in order to introduce additional inserts.